XXII REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES 



mean the extinction of the species. Attempts have been made also 

 to pen and hold the fish until their spawning period. 



As rapidly as possible hatching facilities at the stations are being 

 enlarged. One of the most important difficulties in the bureau's 

 work is to provide a food supply for the young fish, and as far as 

 practicable the spawned-out salmon are prepared and preserved 

 for feeding the young fish. 



The Yes Bay (Alaska) station released approximately 6,000,000 

 young salmon in Lake MacDonald during the month of June. In 

 the Washington field the run of steelhead salmon was much larger 

 than for several years. An experiment will be carried out at 

 Ozette Lake, Wash., for the purpose of determining if sockeye 

 salmon can be ripened in an inclosure, and 1,000 adult fish will be 

 held for this purpose in a pen in the river below the lake. 



COMMERCIAL FISHES OF THE GREAT LAKES 



Operations to collect whitefish, cisco, lake trout, and pike perch 

 eggs were conducted at stations on the Great Lakes during the season. 

 Early in the fall adverse weather made it difficult for the com- 

 mercial fishermen to operate their nets, which in turn greatly cur- 

 tailed the collection of eggs, as the hatcheries must depend upon 

 the fish obtained from the commercial fishermen for eggs. Owing 

 to local demands, few eggs were collected in the Canadian fields. 

 If some form of agreement can be effected between the bureau and 

 the Canadian Government it is believed that large numbers of white- 

 fish and cisco eggs may be obtained for the Cape Vincent station. 

 Owing to the fact that a large percentage of the whitefish caught 

 in the vicinity of Alpena and Charleviox, Mich., are not in spawn- 

 ing condition when taken in the nets of the fishermen, arrangements 

 will be made to pen the fish in certain fields so that their eggs may 

 be taken when ripe. It is hoped that a plan may be developed 

 whereby closer cooperation with the commercial fishermen will 

 result in the taking of a larger number of eggs of market fish. 



MARINE SPECIES OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC COAST 



The bureau operates three marine hatcheries on the Atlantic 

 coast — Boothbay Harbor, Me.; Gloucester, Mass.; and Woods Hole, 

 Mass. — the principal species handled being cod, haddock, pollock, 

 and winter flounder. During the spawning season, when the com- 

 mercial fisheries fleet operates in the vicinity of the hatcheries, 

 experienced spawn takers are placed on board the vessels, or in some 

 instances the crew collects the eggs from the spawning fish. These 

 eggs are sent to the various hatcheries, where they are incubated and 

 the resulting fry released on natural spawning grounds. Were it 

 not for the service performed by the bureau the eggs would be lost 

 when the fish are dressed and sent to market. 



Frequently such fishing boats are out for from 5 to 10 days, mak- 

 ing it impracticable to hold the eggs and deliver them to the hatch- 

 eries, and they are then fertilized and planted at sea. If funds 

 are available, this conservation work will be extended. This method 

 of handling fish eggs has been undertaken in various fields where 



